Picente, Fusco want Griffiss in Rome considered for $3.6 billion anti-missile system

ROME -- Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and Rome Mayor Joseph Fusco have sent an official letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel requesting that Griffiss International Airport be considered for the location of the Eastern Air Defense Sector anti-missile defense system.

Central or Northern New York could become the site of the $3.6 billion development that would bring the region hundreds of new jobs. The missile defense site would be the only one on the East Coast. The Pentagon has said it will begin an environmental impact study later this year of potential East Coast sites to comply with a mandate from Congress.

"This community is very proud of the progress that has been made to make Griffiss a bright spot in our economy. We welcome this mission, with its economic and military benefits that come with it. Central New York must seize every opportunity for economic development that is presented to us, this is no exception," said Picente.

Griffiss is a realigned military installation that was impacted by the base closure rounds in 1993 and 1995.

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Griffiss is now home to the Air Force Research Laboratory Rome Research Site and the Eastern Defense Sector. Griffiss has been transformed into a mixed use business and technology park with more than 70 employers, including the retained military missions, and has more than 6,400 employees. Since 1995 Griffiss has attracted more than $485 million in public and private investment.